Anthropology

The MPhil programme is research-oriented. Students work closely with a supervisor in reading the literature, conducting research and writing theses. Students spend the first year taking courses in preparation for their fieldwork. Students conduct fieldwork in the summer after their first year, and spend the second year writing the thesis.

The goals of the MPhil programme at CUHK are

• to teach students the fundamental theories and methods of anthropology, covering the full range of areas addressed by social and cultural anthropology in the past and at present, and
• to provide students with the anthropological training and guidance to carry out their own extended ethnographic research projects from start (proposal), to fieldwork and write-up, to finish (publication).

• Seminars in Hong Kong Studies
• Seminars in the Anthropology of China I
• Seminars in the Anthropology of China II
• Seminars in Anthropological Theory 
• Seminars in Research Methods
• Directed Studies
• Seminars in Field Research I
• Seminars in Field Research II
• Thesis in Progress

Requirements

• A completed application form under web of Graduate School
• Students are eligible for admission into the M.Phil. programme if they have (1) a B.A. in anthropology and a solid academic record, or (2) a B.A. or M.A. in other subjects with a solid academic record, and practical background in anthropology, such as extensive work experience in other cultures.
• Complete undergraduate or postgraduate transcripts with official signature/stamp chop and sealed with official envelope (note: non-CUHK applicants, photocopies will not be accepted, CUHK applicants, photocopies issued by CUHK will be accepted)
• Two letters of recommendation (Send to division by deadline)
• Proof of proficiency in English (for students who have graduated from a university that does not use English as a medium of instruction). The department prefers the TOEFL exam (550 or above, or 213 or above for the computer-based test; 79 or above for the Internet-based test), or IELTS (band 6.5 or above). If relevant for research, some evidence of Chinese proficiency is also required for non-native speakers
• Receipt of application fee (Applicable if paid by Bank draft/ Cheque, no need if paid by Credit Card)
• Copies of certificates and a copy of applicant’s HKID card or other identity document
• A two-to-three page statement of purpose, describing why the applicant wants to study anthropology at CUHK and what research project the applicant proposes to carry out (FAQ)
• A sample of the applicant’s writing, preferably a research paper

Scholarships

• Full-time graduate students are eligible for financial aid from the department -- the department offers a number of postgraduate studentships of approximately HK$15,600 per month for 24 months (with effect from 1 August 2016). Funds from research projects are also used to assist students, on a case-by-case basis; and students are also eligible for special grants for the writing of Master's and Doctoral theses.